By J. L. Thurston

We are all just playing chess. On a roller coaster. In a hurricane. I don’t know what your plan is, but I want to enjoy as much of the ride as possible. Even if I lose a few pieces off the chess board, I guess it doesn’t matter as long as I can use my brain.

My roller coaster ride started with me believing I knew the direction I was headed. But with one sharp turn, I knew that I could do little more than see where this ride was taking me. It was a little scary, of course, what roller coaster isn’t?

I believed I was going to Hollywood. I believed I was going to act and write in the film industry. I probably could have, but maybe I lost a few chess pieces and it all fell through. I let myself get pulled away, and at first that was a huge bummer. But now, I see that was really okay. My roller coaster ride does not end with my name in the credits on the big screen. Instead, it took me somewhere I never thought I’d be. Somewhere I had wanted to actively avoid most of my life.

Healthcare (dun-dun-duuuun!).

Yep. I was your basic Midwestern girl, working as a CNA in a nursing home. I took care of the elderly. In return, I had nearly every bodily fluid flung upon me, I was bit and scratched, I abused my body to keep their frail and ancient ones safe, and I was rewarded with pennies. I wanted the ride to end, but it took a turn deeper into the medical field.

I like science. Science is something I’ve always enjoyed. I thought, if I was going to work in this damned pit known as healthcare I would at least do something that interested me. I moved a chess piece, earned a degree, and began my career as a Radiologic Technologist. It was something I could be proud of doing, and a good conversation starter.

I don’t know what happened, but I realized I wasn’t enjoying my roller coaster ride. What was I doing wrong? I was playing the game, I was feeling the hurricane, but what was I missing? What control did I have over this crazy ride?

I took the plunge. I gulped in a big breath, and I dove. I feel like I’m jumping out of this roller coaster and trying to land on a different one while it’s moving. I think I might lose more chess pieces than I can play with. I also hope that I might gain more in the fall.

I’m on the verge of earning another degree. This one is in teaching. Teaching science, of course. I’m a writer, right down to the core, but writing doesn’t pay the bills. I thought the roller coaster would dictate where I go in life, and it can if I let it, but if I’m going to write for fun I at least deserve to enjoy what I do for money.

When I began my X-ray career, the first thing a technologist said to me when I began my clinicals was, “Are you ready for hell?”

My first day in a classroom as an observing student teacher, my host teacher said to me, “This is the best job in the world.”

My roller coaster ride is a rocky one. I think it’s probably made of wood, so I have to expect the harsh bumps and jerks. But I’m not going to just ride it out and wait for it to end. I’m going to lift my hands up and fly.